


This Wasn't In The Syllabus

by sapphicbay



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Butch/Tomboy!Kara, F/F, Goth!Lena, Kara plays college football, Slow Burn, SuperCorp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21822073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphicbay/pseuds/sapphicbay
Summary: Lena Luthor is in her freshman year of college at National City University. Wanting to be her own person, and knowing the Luthor's will hate it, she's goth. Her makeup and clothes are something people never thought they would see on a Luthor. Plus, the piercings don't help that image either.Kara Danvers is also starting her freshman year at NCU. She's going to end up being the star linebacker on the NCU's football team. She dresses comfortably and masculine, and never leaves her dorm without a snap-back.The two meet in class and definitely don't seem like they will mean anything to each other, but college can change people. What will happen to Lena Lesbian Luthor and Kara Bisexual Danvers throughout college?
Relationships: Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 19
Kudos: 171





	1. Chapter 1

“Take a deep breath. Now release it.” The woman speaking shoved the needle through Lena’s tongue, the brunette not even flinching. Lena had gone to this woman for her wrist tattoo and her nipple piercings months before. She trusted the woman and the shop, so she’d always come back if she wanted anything else done.

Her freshman year of college started in a week, and she’s been wanting her tongue pierced for a while. Plus, she knew it would really piss Lillian off.

She got the proper cleaning solution and paid, heading out of the shop. Her black Demonia boots smacked against the pavement as she walked toward her apartment. Those were her go-to shoes and they added an extra 6 inches to her height. Her signature black lipstick was smudged from getting the piercing.

She was grateful that she had her own place right outside of campus. Plus, it was paid for by the Luthor's, so Lena didn’t have to worry about it. That was the upside of being adopted by her father’s family. Even if Lillian didn’t like it, Lena was a Luthor so she had the money.

Lena used that money on her credit card that never ran out to buy the clothing she wanted to wear. Even Lex was surprised with the way Lena had been dressing for the past few years. People loved to take pictures of her when she was out around the city and compared her to the rest of the Luthor's, how put together they were and how Lena was just so different.

Her apartment, however, was much more normal. Everything was white or grey and much more comfortable than the furniture in the Luthor Manor. She wanted to be sure that if, somehow, she ever had anyone over, they would actually be comfortable there.

She hasn’t had anyone over yet, though. She didn’t meet anyone interesting on the tour before the semester started, and most people stayed away. They didn’t want to be near her if they knew her name, and if they didn’t, they all thought she was too weird.

Being alone worked for her. She didn’t find many people interesting enough to spend time with. She knew she mostly just wanted to focus on her studies so she could graduate and continue on with getting the PhD’s she wanted. 

Once Lena was back inside the comfort of her apartment, she pulled her boots off and left them by the door. As she walked toward her bedroom, she unclipped all of the chains and studded jewelry she was wearing, leaving them a pile on her dresser. Stripping down, she walked to the bathroom naked before getting into her shower. 

The bathroom had a standing claw foot tub on one side of the bathroom and a large walk-in shower on the other. While the water in the shower heated up, she stood in front of the double vanity to remove her makeup. The makeup wipes came away from her face smudged with her thick eyeliner and black lipstick. Once her face was clean, she walked into the bathroom and let out a content groan at the hot water cascading down her body.

Once done with her shower, she threw her hair up in a wet, messy bun and pulled on a thin tank top and black underwear. She started to prep an easy dinner, one that wouldn’t irritate her new piercing. Settling on just blending up a smoothie, she took it to her bed and sat with her laptop on her thighs. 

One thing Lena and Lillian had in common was their love for online shopping. Lena was looking at a new pair of creepers she wanted when she finished her smoothie and set the glass aside. She placed the order on the shoes and switched to looking at new tops. 

It’s kind of obvious that Lena isn’t really a fan of bras. She only had a couple, but barely wore them. The wire was uncomfortable and she didn’t like how the straps dug into her shoulders. So, she went braless most of them time. She bought more mesh and fishnet long sleeve shirts and the thin, cotton tanks she likes. While she didn’t wear all black, she did stick to darker colors/ That’s what her closet consisted of, dark, heavy clothing.

When she was done shopping, she cleaned up her dishes before going back to her room to get into bed. It was much later than she thought, and she wanted to get some rest before her mandatory lunch with Lillian tomorrow.

***

Kara was on campus getting settled into her dorm. She was sharing it with Lucy, who would be showing up later that week.

Kara was unpacking her suitcases, shoving clothing into the drawers of her dresser. She gave up halfway through and flopped back onto her bed, tossing her snap back onto the nightstand next to her. She was tempted to call Alex to buy her some beer, but she didn’t feel like walking across campus to the junior dorms. She was just going to have to deal with the soda in her mini fridge for now.

After sitting in silence for a few moments, Kara let out a groan and decided to get up to set her TV up. At least she’d be able to sit around and watch Netflix. It took the blonde a few minutes to get everything set up, but soon she was sprawled across her bed in a sports bra and boxers, signing into her Netflix account.

As she scrolled through the movies and shows on her list, her stomach rumbled, Of course she was hungry. When wasn’t she? Grabbing her phone, she called in an order from the local Chinese restaurant she always ate from when visiting Alex. 

When she was done ordering, she tossed her phone to the side and lounged back against her headboard. She found a show called Slasher and decided to start the first season while waiting for her food to arrive. 

The episode was halfway through when there was a knock on her door. She paused it, the frame on the screen showing the really attractive main character. Kara would love to date a girl that beautiful. The only downside to the show was the gore, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to watch and eat.

She paid for her food, not paying attention to the way the delivery guy was staring at her. She did have a great body. That’s why she was going to try out for the football team once the season started.

She sat back on her bed with her three orders of potstickers and changed to the shitty cable she got in the dorm, finding an old replay of some other football game. She half watched, more focused on the food in front of her. She might have to spend an extra hour or two at the gym the next day, but it was worth it. Potstickers always were.

***

The week before the first day of the semester passed quickly, and before Lena knew it, she was on her way to her first class. Her hair was straightened and hanging down her shoulders, her lips and eyes covered in dark makeup. It was heavy, but still looked good. She had her black jeans on, tucked into her Demonia boots, the buckles up the entire thing shining again the lights. She had a deep red tank top on under the black mesh long sleeve, her wrists covered in stud bracelets. She had a silver chain choker around her neck, the chains glinting in the hallway lights.

People moved out of Lena’s way as she walked, her face expressionless as she stared ahead. That was one thing she liked, not having anyone approach her. They either knew who she was, and wanted nothing to do with her family, or they were just scared of her, because of how she dressed.

Her first class was Engineering, which she was excited for. She had read up about that class and the professor, and knew they did a lot of hands-on work, which is what she wanted. She wanted to show off what she knew, and practice it more. That’s how she was raised, to show off. And she didn’t always want to, because that would make her kind of a dick, but still.

She went to one of the work desks in the back, hoping no one would want to sit next to her and be her partner. She knew what she was doing, she didn’t need someone to work with. 

The class filled up quickly, people avoiding her table like the plague. It seemed like everyone was there right when the class was scheduled to start. She happily sat back in her chair, having the desk to herself. Well, she did until someone else came running in five minutes late.

“Ah, Ms. Danvers. I’m glad you could finally join us. You can sit back there with Ms. Luthor.”

There were gasps when the professor said Lena’s last name, people turning around to get a look at her. Even the blonde who came running in stopped to stare at Lena before finally sitting down.

Lena was still, not listening to the professor begin the lesson as she looked over at the blonde who was now her partner. She was dressed in baggy jeans, the knees messily torn, like they weren’t meant to be torn. Her white t-shirt was wrinkled under an oversized flannel that has seen better days. She had a snap-back on her head, backwards and well worn Adidas. The whole look together shouldn’t have worked, but it did. Lena wasn’t one to stereotype, but this woman gave off major butch vibes. The man spread she had when she sat down didn’t help either.

Lena snapped back to the lesson when everyone was getting up to grab supplies. It looked like the blonde was paying attention because she was gone to grab what they needed, leaving Lena to sit and think. If she did this right, they might not have to talk much, which would work for her.

***

Kara was late, she knew that. Late for her first class of her freshman year of college. Of course. And, it was the same professor who absolutely adored Alex, who probably wanted her to be as good of a student as Alex was. She definitely wasn’t making a good first impression.

She was going to do everything she could to show that she would be a good student, that she wouldn’t be late again. She ducked her head at the professor’s words, going over to the table in the back, slumping into her seat. She knew that name. Luthor. She remembered there being a story about a Lex Luthor, but she didn’t know he had a sister. 

When Kara thought Luthor, she definitely didn’t think goth. She would’ve thought pantsuits and heels and looking like they were better than everyone else. At least that’s what Lillian Luthor looked like. It was kind of nice that this Luthor was different, even if she was also a little scary. 

Kara went back to paying attention then, not wanting to start the day even worse than it already was. She took notes of what the professor wanted them to do before getting up quickly to grab the supplies for the first experiment. Coming back to the table, the brunette hadn’t moved at all.

Sighing, Kara held out her hand to the other woman, a brow arching. “Hey, I’m Kara. Looks like we will be partners for the semester.” She figured they could get to know each other a little. They would be working together for a few months.

She watched as the brunette looked over at her before glancing at her hand, finally reaching up to give it a firm shake. “Lena. We should get started.” Her voice had a slight accent to it, but Kara couldn’t tell what kind. All she knew was that Lena’s hand was very soft in her own and a little smaller.

When it seemed like that was the only response she was going to get, Kara nodded and went to set the experiment up. Thankfully Lena was aware of what they were doing and was helping Kara set up as well. 

The blonde pulled her loose flannel off, tying it around her waist and using her snap-back to hold her hair back. She looked over just in time to see Lena flipping her head back up, black locks held in her hand as she pulled it up into a tight ponytail. Kara swallowed, the woman’s neck fully on display now. She could see a freckle right on the front of her throat, right about the chain choker. She wondered what it would be like to press her lips to it and--- whoa. Ok, none of that. She wasn’t even sure where those thoughts came from. She definitely wasn’t a stranger to having thoughts about women, she was a full blown bisexual, but they usually didn’t occur ten minutes after she met someone.

Lena saw the way Kara was staring out of the corner of her eye and smirked. Kara wasn’t her normal type, but there was something about her.. She wouldn’t try anything. She wasn’t at college to date or possibly be someone’s experiment. She was there to get her degrees and move on to take over LuthorCorp.

However, if the right woman did come along, she wouldn’t say no to a night. She was a human with needs after all, and sometimes, other women found her look to be pleasing. There were a few bars around the area that had a pull to the LGBTQ+ community.

She had to stop thinking about this. She needed to get her head back into the moment. Engineering class with Kara Danvers and the structure they were about to start creating together. 

***

Days passed and everything stayed the same after that. Lena and Kara would show up for their class, dressed in their normal looks and work together on whatever project their professor had for them that day. When the class was over, they’d say goodbye and go their separate ways.

Something changed when Kara showed up to class, her arms covered in bruises. Lena did her best not to stare, but she knew she was going to watch the blonde. If something was happening to her, she would make sure that whoever was doing it paid for what they did. 

Finally, one day, Lena had to ask if Kara was alright. She had a nasty bruise from her elbow that disappeared into the sleeve of her shirt. As the class ended, Lena grabbed Kara’s hand and pulled her down the hall.

Kara was surprised when Lena took her hand, wondering what was about to happen. Did she she say or do something that offended the brunette? She had been making jokes during class, but she never really got a response. 

“Lena, what’s going on?” Kara questioned as the stopped in a corner by a window. The sun was bright and caused Lena’s eye to look more green than usual, even though they were filled with worry.

“I know we aren’t friends, or anything really, but I’m..concerned. Is someone hurting you? You’ve been coming to class with bruises every day.” Lena kept her voice low, not wanting anyone passing by to hear what she was asking. It was a private matter, and one Kara might not want the school to know.

Brows furrowed, looking at Lena’s hand which still held her own and back up to her eyes. She realized what Lena meant and smiled, shaking her head. 

“I’m fine, really,” Kara told her, seeing the look in Lena’s eyes. “They’re from football practice. I’m a linebacker, so it’s gets pretty intense. My sleeves normally cover them, but it’s been too hot lately for that layer.”

Black painted lips formed an ‘o’ as she listened to what Kara said. The blonde was on the NCU football team. It made perfect sense, it really did. Plus, it was kind of hot, not that it meant anything. Kara wasn’t Lena’s type, and they barely knew each other. So why did she keep thinking about this. She looked Kara and saw her waiting for a response, so she must’ve asked something. “I’m sorry, what?”

Kara just laughed, the sound more attractive that it should be. “I said you should come to the first home game. It’s next weekend, and it’s against Metropolis University.”

“Oh, no. God, no. I don’t do sports. Seeing a bunch of men and women chasing after a ball is not how I spend my weekends.”

Realizing she was still holding Kara’s hand then, Lena dropped it, moving to cross her arms over her chest. 

“Your loss. And it’s just woman, by the way. I’m the only chick on any of the college teams,” Kara told her, pulling her snap-back off to run her fingers through blonde curls, placing it back on her head. “See you around, then.”

With a grin and a wink, Kara was off down the hall leaving Lena alone to watch her leave. She felt heat low in her belly, and knew it had to do with Kara being the only woman on the team. She was strong enough to take that spot from one of the guys. She wondered what else she was strong enough to do.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena tries to get Kara off her mind and fails. And Kara can't stop talking about Lena to everyone she can.

Lena ended up not going to the football game. It was the last thing she wanted to do, specially since it was the homecoming game. Instead, she stayed in her apartment, the surrounding area much rowdier than normal with students from NCU and MU about. She ordered takeout and decided to video chat an old friend from boarding school, hoping the talk would get a certain blonde off her mind.

Sam answered after the second ring, her face popping up on Lena’s computer screen. Both brows rose when she saw her friend on her own screen, taking in everything about Lena’s look she could. 

“Wow. You’re really going all in with the goth thing, huh? Very different from when I last saw you as the preppy boarding school girl.”

“Oh, shut up,” Lena said, her normal neutral face breaking out into a grin. “It’s a very comfortable look. And it’s keeping people away from me.” She sighed. “I’ve missed you, Sam. It’s not the same without you.”

“It’s not going to keep me from you, don’t worry. And I’ve missed you, too. Metropolis is so boring with you gone. Plus, I don’t have anyone to help me take care of Ruby. God, she’s grown so much since you left.”

Lena smiled a sad smile, missing her friend like crazy. Sam was one of the only people who didn’t care about who Lena’s family was. She just cared about her. And when she got pregnant, Lena was there for Sam every step of the way. 

“I’m going to come visit during the holidays. I miss her so much, too. The videos you’ve sent me of her learning to walk are absolutely adorable.”

“She’ll be moving enough to run to you when you get here,” Sam replied with a laugh.

They continued to catch up, only pausing a couple times for Lena to pay for her food or Sam to go calm a crying Ruby. It was nice to talk to each other, Sam definitely being a good distraction so Lena didn’t think about Kara.

She hardly knew the blonde, yet she was so enthralled with her. She wanted to know more. Then again, that could just be because she was a little lonely and hadn’t gotten laid in a while.. She didn’t want Kara to be a one and done person, no. Lena felt something real there, even though Kara might not feel the same. The only thing she could do was to really befriend her and find out.

***

Kara landed some pretty intense blocks during the game, helping her team beat MU 21-14. The final score wasn’t as many points as she would’ve liked them to score, but each team did have a great defense. 

She ended up skipping the post-game party that was being held at Noonan’s, a restaurant on campus. Instead, she went back to her dorm and collapsed into bed, managing to get James to leave just by her presence. That, however, made Lucy annoyed.

“Really, Danvers? I thought you’d be out doing shots to celebrate your win! That was I could have James over,” she huffed, hands on her hips.

Kara leaned back in her bed, a hand moving behind her head, the movement showing her toned arms off. Not that Lucy cared about them. She knew Kara was bisexual and she didn’t mind. She was the one who bought Kara a flag to hang in their dorm to show her support.

The blonde took a moment to glance up at the flag that was hanging on the ceiling above her bed, letting out a sigh. “I know, I’m sorry. I’m just so tired. A few of those tackles really messed with my shoulder. I’m sure it’ll be fine, but.” 

Kara was also bummed that Lena didn’t show up. Now, she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure, since the stadium was so large, but she just had a feeling that Lena wouldn’t be there.

“Kara, we’ve known each other for a while now. I know there’s something else on your mind.” She moved to her roommates bed, nudging her over to sit on it as well. “Spill.”

The blonde looked over at her friend, a small smile gracing her lips. “Her name is Lena,” she said, keeping her last name to herself. Kara had no issue with Lena being a Luthor, but she knew how others were. “She’s so smart and funny, Lucy. But she’d never be interested in me. She probably just thinks I’m some dumb jock.”

Lucy snorted, shaking her head. “Come on, Kara, we both know that’s not true. You’re definitely a smart jock.” The brunette squealed as she jumped off the bed, dodging the pillow that was playfully swung at her.

“But seriously, have you tried asking her out?”

“No, well, yes, maybe? I invited her to the game tonight, but I’m pretty sure she didn’t show.”

“Kara.. Sweet, idiot, Kara. She’s not going to want to show up somewhere where she won’t even have a chance to talk to you. Ask her out for lunch some time. Or coffee. Everyone loves coffee.”

“I guess you’re right,” she groaned, shaking her head. “I’ll try asking her out next time we are in class. I’ll even wear my nice snap back for it.” She grinned to herself. She was definitely going to ask Lena Luthor out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter just to bring in a few more characters and have these two idiots talk about each other. I know it's kind of short, I'm sorry! The next one will definitely have more Supercorp interactions! Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara asks Lena out. Lena freaks out and gives Kara her answer. They both go talk to their bbfs again. We love supportive friends with their dumb lgbtq+ friends!!!

The next time they were in class, Kara was sure to dress nicer than normal. She wore a nice button-up shirt, and pants that didn’t have an holes in them. Her hair was down, but she still had her backwards snap back on. In a way, it really was a much nicer look than she normally would wear. She just hoped that Lena would appreciate it.

She was going to take Lucy’s advice and ask Lena out on a normal date, to get coffee after class one day. Maybe even that day, since she looked nice. She was thinking about the perfect time to ask. At the beginning of the lesson, and have the answer the whole time? Or wait until the end and wonder the whole time what Lena was going to answer.

She didn’t have time to think it through much before she reached the classroom early for once, seeing that Lena was already there. She made the split second decision to wait until the end of the class, not wanting Lena to turn her down and then having to work with her for the rest of the class.

She used every chance to look over at Lena throughout the lesson, hoping the other woman wouldn’t catch her staring, but she was being kind of obvious with it. 

Lena kept catching Kara staring at her, but said nothing. It could have something to do with the fact that she didn’t show up to the football game and maybe Kara was going to ask her about it. Or possibly there was something on her? Did she have toothpaste on her face or something? She was going to question the blonde about it when the professor ended the lesson early.

She was thankful for that, wanting to get back to her apartment early so she could work on her extra coursework. Her plans were interrupted when Kara stepped in front of her, blocking her from leaving the classroom.

“Kara, did you need something? Or are you just blocking my way for fun?”

“Lena, hey, hi! I was wondering if you, uh, wanted to grab some coffee or lunch sometime? I don’t know what you have going on today, but it works for me if it works for you. Or some other time too, if that’s better.” Kara had to stop herself from rambling any more, waiting for Lena to respond. 

The brunette arched a brow, looking at Kara as she spoke. First the football game and now this. Was Kara trying to mess with her or something? No one was ever this nice to her or asked her to do things with them. It must be some kind of joke--a prank.

Sighing, Lena shook her head and stepped around Kara. “I’m sure you have better things to do than to hang around me. I’m not in the mood to be the tail end of a joke, Kara. I’m fine with us talking in class, since we are stuck being partners, but that’s it.”

Lena made her way from the room, keeping her eyes down. She felt like shit after saying that to Kara, wishing that there could be something between them, but knowing it wasn’t possible.

Kara just stood there, mouth agape as she watched Lena leave. That definitely did not go how she was thinking.

***

Kara went back to her dorm, slamming the door shut behind her and flopped down on the couch, her face buried into a pillow. The slamming let Lucy know that her friend was back, and she went out to check on her.

“So... How’d it go with Lena?” She could probably guess the answer with the way Kara was behaving. And the response she got was just the blonde groaning into the pillow.

“She thou’ I was makin’ a joke. Thou’ it was a prank.” Kara’s words were muffled, the pillow making them sound incoherent. 

“Would you like to try that again without your face in the cushions?”

“She thought it was a joke,” Kara began again, lifting her body from the couch to sit on it normally. Well, as normally as Kara the extreme bisexual could. Her legs hooked over the arm of the couch as she sat at an odd angle to somewhat face Lucy. “She thought me asking her out was a dare or something. Me trying to prank her.”

“Oh, that’s shitty.” Lucy went to sit on the couch with Kara, the blonde flopping back to rest her head on Lucy’s thighs, looking up at her. The brunette just rolled her eyes, fingers comfortingly running through Kara’s hair.

“It is. I don’t know what to do! She’s just so beautiful, Luce. But she said no, and I’m not going to be one of those people who can’t take no for an answer.” A sigh. blue eyes closing. “It was stupid ever thinking she could like me.”

Lucy flicked Kara’s forehead (“Ow, hey!”), looking down at her, almost glaring. “It’s not stupid. I can see where you’re both coming from. I mean, look at her family. Everything that’s happened? Anyone is bound to have some issues after that.”

“I guess you’re right. I just hope it doesn’t change our dynamic in class.”

***

Across the campus, Lena was back in her apartment and trying to Skype Sam again. Calling back every time there was no answer. Finally, after the fourth time, her friend’s face appeared on the screen. Before Sam could even get out a greeting, Lena spoke up, almost shouting.

“Kara asked me out!” 

“Right.. Who is that?”

It then occurred to Lena she never actually mentioned the blonde who was haunting her thoughts to Sam. Last time they talked, she used Sam as a distraction to get her off her mind.

“I mean, I’m glad you’re finally going to get some action, but you’ve never mentioned this girl before.”

“I, well--I said no. And walked away from her.” Lena shrunk back on her couch at the face Sam was making. They were miles away, yet Lena could feel they look.

“Are you losing brain cells in college? Why would you say no?”

“Because I’m me and she’s Kara. She’s on the football team--the only girl on the team! She’s all smiles and sunshine and happiness and I’m,” she gestured toward herself, her look overly goth that day. ”--this.”

“She obviously likes you enough to approach you, Lena. Hell, I’d be nervous to walk up to anyone dressed like you are. It’s badass, but unnerving.” Sam paused, going to grab a crying Ruby and coming back into the view of the camera with the toddler in her arms, calming down as her mother held her. “If you like her too, you should give her a chance. If it doesn’t go well, you can not try again.”

Lena softened with her niece came into view, a smiled spreading across her lips. She missed that little girl so much. “How are you the one giving me relationship advice now?” She teased with a laugh. “You’re right though.. It wouldn’t hurt to try. Thank you, Sam.”

“No problem. I’ve got to get this one down for a nap. Talk to you later, yeah?”

“Yeah, later.” Lena grinned waving at the camera, Ruby just looking at the screen with puffy, red eyes. “Love you both.”

“We love you, too!” Sam waved Ruby’s hand back at Lena before ending the call, leaving Lena to her thoughts.

“Just give Kara a chance. One chance. I can do that.” Lena tried to pep herself up, but in reality, she was afraid it was all going to blow up in her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can i get an oh yeeeeeeaaaah?   
> we back babey. here is another chapter. i'll try to update this more frequently, but y'all also been getting lil fics while i'm figuring out to write here.   
> ANYWAY let me know what y'all think.   
> love ya babes.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic came to be after seeing pictures of Katie in Freakdog/Red Mist and I just needed goth college Lena. That and football player Kara? Yes please. Let me know what y'all think! Feel free to come talk to me on twitter!! @sapphicbayley
> 
> It's a working title I'm probably going to change it lmao


End file.
